


Summer Lovin'

by RightInTheOvaries



Series: Get a Bit Greasey Verse [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Grease-inspired, M/M, Sabriel - Freeform, Underage Sam, gabriel thinks he's straight, rating wil probably change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-09
Updated: 2015-04-26
Packaged: 2018-03-17 01:36:06
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3510287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RightInTheOvaries/pseuds/RightInTheOvaries
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It's the annual Winchester Summer Road Trip, and this time they end up in Hashington, Texas, a sleepy town where the beaches are pretty and the coffee sublime.</p><p>After a rocky meeting, Castiel and Dean develop a strong friendship that has the potential to become way more. Problem is, Castiel isn't into flings and Dean's too scared to even consider starting things with another boy.  Whether it takes a week or the entire summer, Sam and Gabriel are determined to see their brothers together before the Winchesters pack up and haul it back home (and might even end up with a little Summer Lovin' of their own).</p><p>Or: the one where everyone might just end up happy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Sucks to Be Dean Winchester/So Gabe Met This Boy

**Author's Note:**

> Disclaimer: this series is Grease- INSPIRED. While this particular story won't contain heavy influence from the movie, there may be a few scenes that seem familiar. Any familiar lines, characters, or even plot developments that are from Supernatural or Grease are not mine. This applies to the whole story.

Dean wasn't having fun.

He had wanted to check out the classic vinyl store they passed on the way in after seeing some Guns N' Roses albums on display. Sam, however, wanted to go to the beach immediately, where there was sand that slipped into your bathing suit, a freezing cold body of salty water, and  _people_. Both of them voiced their desires to their parents, and who won?

Dean shivered as he stepped into the water, glaring at Sam.

"What kind of masochist do you have to be to enjoy this?" he hissed at his laughing brother.

"C'mon, Dean, loads of people enjoy the water," Sam chuckled. "Besides, no one's forcing you to come in."

Dean grumbled as he continued to move through the frigid water towards the bitch himself. As a result of focusing on preserving body heat, Dean slipped on what he assumed was a rock. Sam moved to catch one of his flailing arms before Dean fell backwards into the water. However, Sam was a second too late and Dean found himself completely submerged in the  _fucking cold_ ocean.

When the shock wore off, Dean rose to the surface, teeth chattering and arms wrapped tightly around himself. There he found Sam laughing his stupid head off and, without a second thought, Dean plunged his hands into the water and splashed his brother.

"Jerk!" Sam called, clearly not expecting the attack. "You got salt water my eyes."

"So you're gonna whine like a little bitch?" Dean teased, a smile stretched across his face. "Real men like me can take it, Sammy."

"Oh, you're on," Sam challenged, hands already bringing up water.

And thus the Greatest Water Battle Ever had begun. Forgotten was the frigid temperature of the water, and in its place were strategies as to how to get the other as wet as possible. Dean laughed when Sam's hair (which grew longer and longer by the hour, it seemed) flipped forward and stuck his face. Sam threw his head back in hysterics at the face Dean made when he tried and failed to dive at Sam and, once again, fell underneath the water. 

There was a point when the brothers were so fixed on the task at hand they forgot about their surroundings. As a result, Dean ended up jamming his elbow in the back of some stranger's head.

"Dude, I am so sorry," he apologized, whipping around.

Dean was met with, quite possibly, the iciest stare anyone had ever shot him. This included Sam's bitch face, his mother's glares, and all of the teachers who hated him over the years. Dean chalked it up to the hard eyes that were too blue to be genetically possible. Dean found himself creepily staring--as Sam would put it later-- at the other boy until he responded.

"Watch where you're swinging your arm," the stranger snapped, his eyes flashing.

"Sorry, man, it was an accident."

Blue Eyes scoffed and rolled his eyes before turning around and swimming for the beach, splashing Dean when his feet kicked violently. After a few quick curses, Dean looked at the sky and was shocked at how dark it was already, temporarily pushing the altercation to the back of his mind. He gestured for Sam to come closer.

"We should start high-tailing it back to the hut. Mom will have our asses if we don't make dinner."

Sam nodded in agreement. Together they swam to shore, racing to see who could reach their belongings first. Dean won by a half minute, but that could have been because he dunked Sam under the water.

*****

The next morning, Dean woke up before anyone else. He had forgotten to turn off the stupid alarm Sam set so he could pack the last of his belongings for the last leg of the trip the previous day. As a result, Dean was grouchily munching his Cheerios at six o’clock in the fucking morning and damning his brother for the two extra hours of slumber he was getting.

Since he couldn’t fall back asleep, Dean decided to get a head start on exploring the town. He penned a quick note to his mother about his departure, knowing she would be pissed if she didn’t know where he was. Dean grabbed his phone, squeezed on his boots, and quietly snuck out of the house.

He didn’t enjoy running outside like Sam did, but the temperature was too perfect for Dean to pass up walking. Besides, he reasoned, the town wasn’t too far away and he could easily observe more than he could if he had taken the Impala. It was easy to ignore the slight pinch his shoes when he was way too enthralled in enjoying the change of scenery.

There was no one around, but this Dean was used to being a resident of Nowheresville, Kansas. Still, the peace was rather enjoyable combined with the vague scent of seawater that filled his nose with every breath. He languidly moved his gaze over the shops, spotting a bakery, antique store, and the same vinyl shop he noticed before. Unable to resist, Dean crossed the street to check if it was open.

Surprisingly, the store hours posted on the display window claimed the shop to be open. He pushed the door, a bell ringing out into the silence that he had grown accustomed to. The boy at the register seemed to be just as shocked as him at the noise, jolting up and staring at Dean with wide, tired eyes.

“G’morning, sir,” the boy slurred with exhaustion. “Welcome to No-o-ovak’s Vinyls; if there’s anything I can get you, jus-s let me know.”

Dean suppressed a smile at the obviously rehearsed greeting, instead shooting straight to the point. 

“Got any first editions?” he asked.

The boy—his name-tag read Gabriel—drowsily pointed to one of the sections behind Dean before using the same arm to rest his head on. Dean nodded his thanks and turned around to face the (impressively large) selection. He scanned his eyes over the choices, taking note of ones he might want to purchase at a later date when he wasn’t a bit short on cash. It wasn’t until a specific album caught his eye did he consider buying one on the spot.

 _Fuck it,_ he thought as he grabbed the vinyl from the rack.

After picking out two new cassette tapes (that were on sale), Dean returned to Gabriel, who was now munching on a Milky Way. He snorted as he saw Dean approaching with his items.

“Jesus, you were serious about buying? I mean, don’t get me wrong here, vinyls are pretty popular in Hashington—but with like, old ladies.”

Dean shrugged and placed his small haul on the dusty counter, too tired to bother defending himself. Gabriel picked up the first cassette—Rock or Bust, since his broke a few weeks back—and flipped it around until he found a long string of numbers. He typed it into the ancient cash register before repeating the process with the other tape. When he reached the vinyl, Gabriel let loose an obnoxious chuckle at the title.

“What?” Dean snapped.

“Nothing, man,” Gabriel assured unconvincingly. “It’s just—the Beatles.”

“What’s the matter with the Beatles? Besides, it’s for my mom, so cool it.”

Gabriel raised an eyebrow at, but that was the end of the conversation. Dean paid hastily, ignoring the tips jar before spinning around and slamming right into a body. He groaned as he lurched forward to the counter.

“What is  _wrong_  with you?”

Oh. Crap.

Dean opened his eyes and  _fuck_ , there he was. Blue Eyes was standing before him, except this time his shirt was soaked with coffee and he looked even more pissed than the last time they met. Before Dean could stutter out an apology, Gabriel cut in.

“Cassie,” he grinned,”when I was offered coffee on you, this is not what I was expecting.”

Cassie’s (Cassie?) attention switched to Gabriel, his eyes focused and intense. Whereas Dean would have taken a step back at the unabashed attention, Gabriel just met it with a lazy smile, as if he was used to it. 

“Dude, I have no idea why we keep on bumping into each other like this,” Dean said, digging into a pocket to check for a napkin or something.

“You didn’t tell me you met tall, dark, and clumsy, Cassie,” Gabriel teased. “Tell me all about it, and don’t spare the details!”

“It’s Castiel, as I have told you nearly 300 times now,” Castiel corrected wryly. “And yes, I have met this boy before.”

He looked at Dean as if he was less than the gum stuck to his shoe, and said acidly, “Unfortunately.”

“I really am sorry about crashing into you. And, um, about yesterday,” Dean choked out. “I swear I’ll pay you back for your shirt and the coffee, but I have to leave, like, now.”

Without waiting for a reply, Dean rushed out of the store and onto the sidewalk. He really couldn’t pay for what he promised, not after spending to money on the vinyl, so he would have to be extra careful not to crash into Castiel for the rest of the summer. Probably easier said than done, because this town was so small it had one diner.

Dean practically ran all the way back to the cottage, checking occasionally to make sure Castiel wasn’t following him.

****

When he got home, John was sitting in the small kitchen, sipping his coffee and thumbing through a local newspaper. He looked up when he heard the click of the door shutting. Dean paused at the odd sight, wondering why his father was up at—jeez, 7:54. Was he really gone for over an hour?

“What are you doing up?” Dean asked, plastic bag in hand.

John yawned. “Your mother and Sam are doing some kind of yoga thing on the beach. Mom freaked out when she couldn’t find her mat or something.”

Dean couldn’t bring himself to smile at the visual, still kind of off from his morning interaction. He turned to leave, but John stopped him.

“Are you okay, son? You look like you saw a ghost.”

Figuring it was no use lying to John (he would tell Mary about how weird he was acting, Mary would squeeze it out of him, the report back to John with the truth), Dean told what had happened. His father looked concerned by the end of the story, but apparently not with Dean’s well being. He set his coffee down.

“You didn’t start a fight with the boy, right? Because, son, we should really put those days behind-“

“I didn’t a fight with him, Dad,” Dean insisted, slightly miffed his dad thought that of him. “Those days are over for me.”

“Good,” John said, and the conversation ended.

Dean took that as a sign of being dismissed, so he ran upstairs to hide the vinyl under his mattress, mind still on Castiel and the sharpness of his eyes.

****

Castiel would like to think that he has seen everything. As a high school senior, addict to the internet, and Gabe's brother, he believed his theory correct. Nothing would ever surprise him, and he could proudly remain unfazed until the end of time.

However, everyone who knew even a lick of science is aware that every hypothesis has to have concrete evidence to back it up, and lots of it. As it appeared, he did not have enough to support his theory.

When he entered Braeden's Gas and Dine at exactly one o'clock, he chose the booth that was angled to view the entire lower side of Furch St., where many of the shops that Hashington were known for sat. He was able to see his family's vinyl store, ready to whip out his cell phone if Gabe did not walk out of it sometime during the next ten minutes. Just as it was nearing minute six, Gabriel stepped into view, but he was not alone.

A boy with floppy hair walked beside him, hands in his pocket and head looking away. Gabe seemed to have taken control of the conversation, as he usually did. But it wasn't the fact that Gabe was walking with another boy that was weird. No, it was the fact that he was so obviously flirting.

Now, Cas wasn't homophobic--that would really put a damper on the love life he lead, however small it was. It was just odd to see his brother, who, up until this point, Castiel thought was straighter than a pole. Gabriel wasn't being subtle about it either. Even from here, Castiel could make out the suggestive eyebrow raises, the small nudges, and the slight blush that painted his cheeks. The boy he walked with had a flush of his own, but he did not open his mouth to speak.  

When they approached the diner's entrance, the pair didn't seem to know how to say goodbye. Castiel cringed as he watch the boy lean in for a hug but Gabriel reach his hand for a fist pump, then have them realize and the roles reversed. Finally, they settled on a brief handshake, a quick wave, and then the boy spun around. 

Gabriel knew Cas would be sitting in his usual booth so he headed back there immediately. His face was flaming, and Castiel swore his voice shook when he greeted him. 

"What's up, broseph?" he said. 

Castiel being Castiel didn't see a point in beating around the bush. "Who was that boy?" 

Gabriel sputtered. "Why do you need to know?" 

"I just found your flirtation with him unusual, is all," Cas replied easily, signaling for a waitress to take their order. 

"I wasn't flirting! I was just-" Gabriel tried to defend himself, but he was cut off when Lisa came by with a notepad in hand.

"Hey, guys," she smiled. "Will it be the usual today?" 

Castiel nodded, and after Gabriel was assured that there would be extra whipped cream on his milk shake, Lisa left to give the chef their order. Castiel didn't bother pointing out that Gabriel was headed straight for obesity because he knew that it was no use. He feared an awkward silence was going to settle over them (it was standard for him), but Gabriel spoke before that could happen.

"I wasn't  _flirting_  with Sam," Gabriel insisted again. "I was just being friendly. There's a difference."

"Sam? Castiel raised an eyebrow. "How did you meet him? I haven't seen him around before."

"He and his mom were doing the weird yoga class thing Kali does. When I met her after, I bumped into him."

Gabriel offered no other explanation and sat back, looking out the window. It was almost as if he was searching to see if Sam was still outside the diner, but Castiel thought that a ridiculous notion. They sat in silence, Castiel sipping his water and Gabriel gulping his shake Lisa had silently put down in the table.

Redford wasn't exactly a town where people were fighting for real estate. It was rare they got vacationers, if at all, so seeing Sam was a bit of a shock. Still, it might have been refreshing for Gabe to meet someone new being as flighty as he was. Castiel dropped the issue of the supposed (definite) flirting, and instead brought up a conversation about eggplants and where most of the world's supply came from (New Jersey). Gabriel may have pulled a face but he listened patiently, and that was that.

                                                                                ****

Friday, a few days after the questioning about Sam, saw Castiel tucked away in his room. This was standard, and his family knew better than to ask him if he was alright. What wasn't standard was that in lieu of a book or his laptop, Castiel was instead focused what was happening in the next room.

The walls between his and Gabriel's rooms weren't exactly thin, but he could still definitely hear the low murmur of two voices coming from the opposite side. Judging by how defensive Gabe was when Castiel knocked on his door and asked who he invited over, he knew who was with his brother.

He didn't like to think of himself as nosy, but Castiel could not resist raising a glass cup to his ear and pressing it agaisnt the wall (a trick Gabriel himself taught him). There was something about the whole unexpected friendship that had Castiel suspicious, especially since Sam looked a good four years younger than Gabriel, and Gabriel was, well, Gabriel. When all he heard was laughing and a few whispers, Castiel tossed the cup onto his bed and sighed, frustrated.

 

Not wanting to get too worked up over it, Castiel plucked a random novel from his collection and began to read. 


	2. So Gabe Met This Boy Cont.

"Boys! I'm home!" Mary called as she dropped her groceries onto the table. "Come help me put everything away." 

She smiled at the answering grumbles, but soon enough her husband and eldest son walked into tithe kitchen to aid her. Mary kissed John's cheek when he entered, then turned to Dean.

"Where's Sam?" 

Dean shrugged. "Said he was going over a friend's house a few hours ago."

Mary frowned. As ecstatic as she was that Sam had already met someone in the two days they had been there, she did not yet have a vibe of the residents of Hashington. As far as she could tell, it was a very quiet town, but that did not mean she had no reason to be suspicious.

"Do you know who this friend is?" she asked, gathering the lemons in her hands while Dean shut one of the cabinets.

"Don't know the name, just that they met at your yoga thingy this morning," Dean responded.

Mary almost instantly knew who he was talking about. She remembered Sam speaking to an older boy when the class was wrapping up. While her fears were not completely assuaged (she needed to meet this boy first), she was satisfied with being able to at least know the face. Mary dropped the topic. 

****

Castiel met Sam sooner than he thought. He had accidentally run into his brother and him in the kitchen, to which Gabriel had groaned and Sam perked up. After Sam had asked "Were you named after an angel, too?", a formal introduction had to be made.

"You know, I'm kind of offended you didn't tell Sam my name," Castiel commented, popping a Cheeto in his month. 

"Nah, he wouldn't have wanted to hear about you," Gabriel responded, slapping a hand over Sam's mouth, silencing his protest. "Poor Sammy would have been bored to death." 

Sam managed to pry Gabriel's hand away, disgruntled.

"Not true, Gabe!"

Castiel raised an eyebrow. Not many people were allowed to shorten Gabriel's name. How special was this kid if he was already Gabriel by his nickname?

"I'm sure you're very interesting, Castiel," Sam assured, glaring at Gabe.

Castiel chuckled. "It's alright, Sam. Gabriel's right: I'm rather boring.

Gabe and Sam continued to speak to each other as if they had been best friends for years. Castiel silently watched the exchange, noticing the way Gabriel leered on occasion and how Sam blushed in response. He knew Gabriel had been lying about flirting, but Castiel also knew it was not the time to bring it up. Castiel continued to play the third wheel (not that he was really bothered) until Sam glanced at the time on the microwave.

"Shit! Is that really the time?" he said. "My mom's gonna rip me a new one if I'm not home soon."

Gabriel's face fell a little. Castiel noted.

"How far away is Pallad Street from here?" Sam asked, rising from his chair.

"Twenty minutes walking distance," Castiel supplied. "But I would not recommend walking alone in the dark, Sam. We're pretty crime free, but there have been the occasional muggings."

"I could drive you home," Gabriel offered.

"Don't worry," Sam assured. "I'll have my brother pick me up."

Castiel merely tilted his head at this new piece of information, but Gabriel's face lit up like a Martha Stewart Christmas tree. He tried to threaten his brother telepathically to  _not say anything,_  but did that stop him? Of course not.

"An  _older_  brother, Sammy?" Gabe chuckled darkly. "Why didn't you mention this to Cassie before?"

"Gabe," Castiel hissed lowly, shooting an apologetic look to Sam.

"Sorry, Cas, but I don't think Dean swings that way," Sam frowned. "But if I find out otherwise, you'll be the first to know."

 Sam began to fish his phone from his pocket. Castiel waved at him absently, glaring daggers at Gabriel while he cackled madly. Sam dialed the mysterious Dean, securing a ride and hanging up with a muttered "jerk".

 A short time later, Castiel stood from his chair to answer the knocking at the front door. He was glad to have an excuse to escape from the, frankly, sickeningly sweet pair Sam and Gabriel made. They had replaced their screen door with a wood one last year due to a massive storm, so Castiel could not yet see what Dean looked like.

 He opened the door, ready to openly welcome the stranger, but promptly shut the door the moment he saw who it was.

"Hey!" yelled a muffled voice from outside.

 Castiel did not need to look at the mirror hanging in the wall beside him to know his eyes were wide open. Of all the people that could have been Dean, it had to be the one who ruined one of his shirts. Just his stupid luck. A deep breath, and Castiel pulled the knob once more.

 "Forty five dollars," he said gruffly.

 "I beg your pardon?" Dean asked dumbly.

 "The shirt you ruined," Castiel growled, "it was forty five dollars." 

 Dean looked really sheepish. "Listen buddy," a hand flew to rub his neck, "couldn't you just... wash the stain out?"

 "It was dry clean only."

 Silence fell over them, awkward on Dean's part and angry on Castiel's. Almost an entire minute passed before Sam and Gabe came to greet Dean, and the tension and only thickened between Dean and Castiel in the time that passed.

 "Hey, Dean," Sam said cheerfully before realizing there was something wrong.

 He first noticed that Dean had not been offered inside the house. Castiel's small smile from before had completely melted into an almost blank, narrow-eyed expression. Dean was staring at the ground in what appeared to be shame. Sort of dreading finding out what Dean had already done to piss someone off, Sam decided to delay introducing his brother to Castiel.

 "Hey, Gabe, I think I forgot my phone upstairs. Mind helping me look for it?"

 "But-" Gabriel started, looked bewildered.

 He didn't get to finish his sentence. Sam gripped his arm tight and dragged him up the stairs. Castiel watched them flee, cursing Sam because he knew his phone was in his pocket. A few beats passed before he sighed deeply.

"Come on," Castiel said. "You're letting in all the heat."

 Dean tentatively stepped inside the house, eying Castiel warily. Castiel rolled his eyes at the move, shutting the door. Another moment passed before it was Dean's turn to sigh.

 "Listen, man, I really am sorry about constantly bumping into you. It's unintentional, I swear! I can pay you back for the shirt, I just need to scrounge up a bit more cash-"

 "Don't bother, it was replacable," Castiel cut off, shrugging. "And, I guess I forgive you; you seem sincere enough."

 Dean furrowed his eyebrows. "Um, thanks? Anyway, I was thinking: maybe we could start over. Kind of like a clean slate?"

 Castiel mulled over the offer quickly before nodding. "Alright."

 Dean smiled brightly and stook out his hand. "Great. I'm Dean Winchester. Aquarius. Major douchebag on occasion."

 Castiel wondered if the last bit was part of his apology or just tacked on for humor. He didn't waste much energy in the thought and instead grabbed the proffered hand.

 "Castiel Novak. Uh, Virgo. I, um, 'creepily stare' at people a lot."

 Dean grinned and Castiel guessed this was the right thing to say. As their hands shook, Castiel finally took in the details of Dean's face. There was alresdy the beginning of tan darkening the man's face, bringing out the subtle gold flecks of his eye. He followed the chiseled jaw line to the plump lips, imagining what would happen if were to simply lean in-

 "Thank God! I don't think I could stand your guys' glowering the whole summer if the stupid feud continued."

 Castiel and Dean jumped apart at Sam's voice. They watched as he and Gabe raced each other down the stairs to where they stood near the door. Castiel saw, from the corner of his eye, a slight blush rise to color Dean's cheeks. He didn't know if he should have been alarmed that he thought it was cute.

 "Shut up, bitch, and get in the car," Dean ordered fondly.

 "Thanks for having me over, Gabe," Sam said shyly.

 The two shuffled awkwardly, as if trying to decide if they should hug or not. Finally, Gabriel coughed and slapped his hand on Sam's shoulder, and Sam took this as his cue to run out the door.

 Castiel briefly wondered if the same would happen to he and Dean, but this concern was quickly out to rest. 

 "I guess I'll see you around, Cas," Dean said with a wink, going to meet his brother in their monster of a car.

 Castiel ignored his brother's coos about the aforementioned wink, instead rushing to his room before Gabriel could spot his heated cheeks. Somehow, he didn't think he was so lucky.

 

 

 

 


	3. A Little Conversation and Investigation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This could be considered a filler chapter. I'm so sorry for not updating! I've had a bit of writer's block, and I have an AP exam next month. Please forgive me.

"So, Gabe," Dean instigated cautiously.     

"So, Cas," Sam teased. "You two looked pretty cozy."

Dean scowled. Sam laughed heartily, enjoying getting under his older brother's skin. Had Sam looked hard enough, he would have seen the pink hue that stained Dean's cheeks. Dean was thankful it was too dark for his blush to be obvious.

"You know he's, like, twenty-two," Dean stated, clearing his throat. "Way too old for you."

"Eighteen, actually, with a long-time girlfriend," Sam corrected, snappish. "I'm not gay, Dean, and neither is Gabe."

"I don't know, Sam, you're thirteen. It's the time for self-discovery and all that crap."

Sam rolled his eyes and turned his head to face the window. Dean briefly wondered if he said something wrong, glancing quickly at Sam before looking back at the road. He sighed.

"You know I wouldn't care if you were... gay, right?" Dean asked hesitantly. "Or whatever. As long as you're happy, dude, it doesn't matter."

Sam snorted. "Thanks, Dean, I'll keep that in mind." A pause. "Same to you."

"Huh?"

"If you weren't straight, I wouldn't care," Sam elaborated.

Dean nodded, but he did not respond beyond that. He gently swerved the Impala into the small driveway of their vacation home. Even after putting the car in park, the two stayed seated, buckled, for a moment in contemplative silence. Dean was the one to first unbuckle, and Sam repeated action right after him. They slid out in unison, sharing a look over the Impala's roof before heading to the doorstep. Dean slapped his hand twice on Sam's shoulder, and Sam figured that was Dean's way of saying thanks.

****

John plopped down on his seat, grimacing at the salad placed in the middle of the table. Mary caught his reaction and chuckled behind her hand. She served herself a large portion before passing the bowl to Sam.

"Thanks for dinner, Mom," Dean said, pushing the vegetables around on his plate. "You know salad's my fave."

"Don't be like that," Mary chided. "I bought pie from the store. You gotta eat your vegetables if you want some."

While nothing beat Mary's pie (and Dean had a shit-ton of evidence to back that up), Dean immediately perked up at the mention of  his favorite dessert. Needless to say, he plowed through his dinner like it was a juicy aged filet mignon. He even volunteered to collect all the plates and put them in the sink to be washed later. Sam accused him of shooting for an extra slice; Dean insisted he was highly offended and acting out of the goodness of his heart.

When they each had a large hunk o' pie on their plates, Mary decided it was a perfectly good time to bring up what had been on her mind. She waited for Sam to swallow his food before giving him a look that told him he was about to be interrogated. Sam dropped his fork on the table.

"I heard you went to a friend's house today, Sam," Mary said. "The boy from the beach. What's he like?"

"Jesus, Mom, you make it sound like I'm dating him or something," Sam chuckled, then, reminded of his earlier conversation with Dean, broke it off awkwardly with a wheezing cough.

"I'm just asking," Mary insisted. "I don't know these people; I don't know what they're like."

"Don't worry about Gabe, Mom. He and his brother are really friendly."

"Oh? Is his brother older or younger?" "Younger, but not by much," Sam replied to his mom. "Dean really likes him."

Dean smacked Sam's chest hard, using the advantage of being seated to his right. However, Sam was more built than he appeared under his loose t-shirt, and Dean shook his hand in pain. Sam shot him an bitchface, intensity almost matching the one Mary had set on her face. Had Dean looked at his father seated across from him, he would have seen he weird expression his father gave him.

The rest of their meal was spent quietly, the sound of their forks scraping against the glass plates only background noise. Dean reveled in the peace. There had been few dinners spent together like this since the penultimate month of school, and he had not realized how much he missed them. How much he enjoyed the simple presence of his parents and brother.  By the content expressions etched on the faces of his family, he knew the sentiment was shared.  The thought made him smile a bit. Sam and Dean were on dish duty that night, much to their chagrin. Dean tried to bat his eyes out of it, only to be met with John's booming laugh and Mary's smug smirk. So, together they splashed each other with the dirty water and took whacks at one another with worn dish towels. It fueled Dean's pure happiness, fed the safe feeling that he had felt since they unpacked their bags. He already decided he wanted to stay there forever, locked in the warmth Hashington brought, and they were only wrapping up their third day. He did not not realize he had a goofy smile stretched across his face until Sam pointed it out.

****

When the dishes were stacked in the cabinets and the Winchesters gathered around to halfheartedly watch television, there was a sharp rap at the door. At first, they did not hear the knock, so loud was the TV, but the second time someone pounded Dean stood up and volunteered to answer the door. As he walked, Dean wondered who could possibly be knocking at this time of night; they had only met two people, and at this point they were really only acquaintances. He tentatively turned the knob and pulled, eyebrow raised and ready for whoever was waiting outside.

"Hello, Dean," Castiel greeted, holding a plastic bag. "You're brother left these at our house."

Dean noticed he was panting a little. Castiel held out the bag to Dean, who reached for it gradually. He saw when he peeked the bulky headphones Sam insisted on wearing, no matter how ridiculous he looked with them on.

"Thanks," Dean said slowly. "Did you run here?"

Castiel nodded quickly at the question. "I enjoy running; it's therapeutic in a way. Now, if you don't mind, I have to start going before the street lights go out."

"Wait, wait!" said Dean hastily. "Come inside for a minute or two. My mom will have a seizure if I let this valuable opportunity for you to meet her slip by."

Castiel gave him an odd look but followed him inside nonetheless. Dean swept his arms in front of him grandly, as if he were presenting Buckingham palace rather than the cramped hallway they stood in. Castiel amused him with a small smile anyway.

"Here we are: home sweet home," Dean vocalized, then chuckled. "At least for the summer it is."

"Dean, honey, who are you talking to?" Mary yelled from the living room. "That's my mom," Dean explained, grimacing slightly. "Be prepared."

Together they walked to where 3/4 of the Winchesters sat, staring at them as they came in. Castiel wavered under the attention, used to being way out of the spotlight. Still, he stood firmly besides Dean in the doorway. There were three pieces of furniture and a television, the rest of the room rather bare. He waved at Sam, who sat in the reclining chair besides the major couch. He felt Dean touch his lower back, let him push him gently to the center of the room. Castiel hoped his blush wasn't as obvious as he thought.

"Mom and Dad, this is Cas: Gabe's younger brother. Cas, my Mom and Dad."

"Good evening, Mr. and Mrs. Winchester."

John shook his head and said, "Please, we prefer Mary and John."

"Why don't you stay a little while, Cas?" Mary offered. "I'm sure we'll have plenty to talk about."

"Oh, I really can't," Castiel replied. "The street lights will be turned off soon, and I have to walk-"

"Dean can drive you back, no problem," Mary assured, smiling. "Please, sit down."

When Mary Winchester was dead set on something, she was a frightening sight. Despite the sweet expression on her face and the open chance for him to escape, Castiel already knew way better than to deny her. Hesitantly, he took a seat on the love couch, for there was nowhere else to sit. Dean, not wanting to miss the interrogation, threw the plastic bag at Sam and squeezed in next to Castiel. Castiel ducked his head, praying once again his flaming cheeks weren't noticed.

"So, Cas, how long have you lived here?" Mary started.

For a good half hour, Castiel's life was picked apart and displayed for the Winchester's to see. He didn't mind because he assumed he was boring them. Mary was fierce as she plowed on, but Castiel answered everything cool as you please. He now understood what Dean meant when he warned him to be prepared. Dean stared, horrified, while Sam tried to mute his guffaws behind his hand. John sat back and let wife take the reigns, opting to observe quietly. When Mary was finished, she appeared very satisfied and even helped Cas stand up.

"You have a nice night now, Cas," said Mary. "And feel free to come around anytime you want."

Castiel thanked her, then practically ran outside for Dean near the Impala.

****

"I think you scared the boy away," John commented lightly.

"Just gotta make sure Deana and Sam are making the right kind of friends," Mary answered. "I do not need a repeat of last year."

"None of us do, Mary."

****

"I am so sorry about that, dude," Dean apologized, unlocking the Impala. "I don't even think Mom questioned my girlfriends like that."

"It's alright, Dean," Cas responded. "You're mother is just looking out for you. It's nice."

"Nice, maybe. Invasive, yes."

Cstiel opened the door and slid across the seats, Dean doing the same. He noticed the way Dean's face brightened when the car rumbled to life, in the back of his mind wishing the blonde would look at him like that. Instead of pushing the thought away, Castiel let it expand and cradle him the rest of the ride.

**Author's Note:**

> I don't know where I'm going with this, guys, but I'm determined to see it through. The summary might change, the relationship tags might change, hell, at this point, anything can change. I'm just testing the waters here. This story shouldn't be too long, but I can't say the same about the next one. I'll probably update this every Sunday, so keep watch!
> 
> Also, feel free to comment any mistakes as I probably have a few. Kudos and comments appreciated!


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